Let's denote the amount of money James earned last week as \( x \).
According to the problem, the total amount he earned is expressed as:
\[ 900 = 5x - 10 \]
Now, we can solve for \( x \):
- Start by adding 10 to both sides of the equation:
\[ 900 + 10 = 5x \]
\[ 910 = 5x \]
- Next, divide both sides by 5 to isolate \( x \):
\[ x = \frac{910}{5} \]
\[ x = 182 \]
Therefore, James earned $182 last week.
To verify, we can check:
- Five times the amount he earned: \( 5 \times 182 = 910 \)
- According to the problem, $10 less than this is \( 910 - 10 = 900 \), which matches the total he earned.
Thus, the solution is confirmed: James earned $182 last week.